Archaeology in Tucson
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ARCHAEOLOGY IN TUCSON Vol.1, No.4 Newsletter of the Institute for American Research Summer 1987 TRULY THE ORIGINAL TUCSON! CATALINA STATE PARK SURVEY In our last AIT newsletter, we presented some of the In the mid-1800s, Francisco Romero built his stone-walled background about the San Agustin Mission, the original ranch buildings atop an ancient Hohokam village in what Tucson. The test excavations that were conducted by the is now Catalina State Park. Romero's ranch is mostly Institute in June were located just west of the wall of the rubble now, but some foundation walls are still visible. A mission complex, and they are helping to establish that the photograph from 1910 gives us some feel for what the first Tucsonans settled at the base of the black rock, now original ranch would have been like, but to feel the known as "A Mountain," over 2000 years ago. While isolation of Romero's ranch and the fear inspired by Tucson has long made the claim of being the oldest hostile Apaches requires a vivid imagination for the continuously inhabited city in the U.S. on the basis of the increasingly urban modern Tucsonan. Hohokam pithouse that was discovered under the northeast corner of the presidio wall in 1954, these Archaic pithouses may eventually prove that Tucson's continuous occupation began 1000 years earlier than had once been believed! The first eight trenches yielded nothing of much antiquity, and the next two produced garbage from the 1950s. But down near the bottom of the 11th trench was a thin black line of charcoal that extended nearly 11 feet, unmistakably the remains of a burned pithouse. The small size, the depth from the modern surface, and the complete lack of pottery all suggested that this house predated the Hohokam. By the time all 20 test trenches were completed, some 15 of these ancient pithouses had been exposed. Two stone-walled buildings at Romero Ranch in 1910. Photo courtesy of the Arizona Historical Society Library, Tucson. It is likely that these first Tucsonans spent only the summer and fall living at the base of A Mountain. The The Institute's archaeological survey in Catalina State Park cultivation of corn, or maize, a productive species of grass was funded by grants from the State Historic Preservation that originated in Mexico, was a major reason that the Office, the local ANL Foundation, and in-kind Archaic people settled down in a single place and made contributions by Geo-Map, Inc. and numerous volunteers. more substantial houses. Ten out of the eleven soil A remarkable set of contour maps that shows many of the samples that were examined for evidence of charred seeds details of the prehistoric site that underlies Romero's yielded cobs or kernels of corn. Ranch was prepared by Geo-Map, and intensive collections of artifacts from the site surface have given us Additional testing will be necessary before a final plan is new insights into the age and growth of this ancient developed for the archaeological remains that were found village. along the proposed route of Mission Road. That work will probably occur in the early fall. The pottery sherds indicate the village was founded early in the Hohokam era, perhaps between A.D. 200-400, and it reached its peak between A.D. 800-1000. The Romero Correction: We regret that in our last newsletter we forgot to Ruin was probably always the largest Hohokam settlement credit the Tucson Corral of Westerners as the publishers of in the Catalina State Park, but 32 other prehistoric sites the booklet on San Agustin Mission written by Jack have now been recorded within the park boundaries. Williams. MEMBERSHIP NEWS ARCHAEOLOGY IN TUCSON HELP US DISCOVER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES The Archaeology in Tucson membership program is Archaeology in Tucson members now have the opportunity ending its first year. We managed to convince 150 of you to participate in an all-volunteer archaeological survey that AIT was worth joining. We hope everyone will renew being conducted by Allen Dart, a research archaeologist at their membership for 1987-1988. Our plans are to have the Institute for American Research. The two main even more activities for you to enjoy in the coming purposes of this survey are: (1) to gather information on membership year. what kind of archaeological materials exist in the upper foothills of the Avra and Altar valleys southwest of Tucson, Not very many of you have been taking advantage of our and (2) to provide an opportunity for people interested in project reports. The reports range in length from 100 archaeology to get out and see archaeological sites, and to pages to 500 pages and are full of interesting information become familiar with archaeological survey techniques. on the Hohokam and Archaic Indians. Remember you get Information collected during the survey will help fill in our 10% off the already low prices. If you are interested in picture of prehistoric life in this area whose archaeology is viewing any of the publications, please stop by the office still little-known. It will help us interpret where people and ask for Tom or Jennifer. preferred to live in these valleys, what portions of the valleys they avoided, and how and why their settlement Our goal this membership year is to gain 250 new locations changed through time. members. We need your help. Several members are needed to act as membership chairpersons to help recruit new members. Our plan is to have at least 10 chairpersons choose five friends who will each be responsible for recruiting five new members. This would give us our 250 new members. If you are interested in becoming a chairperson, give Tom a call at 622-6663. We need new members for several reasons. First, and foremost, we need membership dues to pay for the printing and mailing of informative newsletters. Second, we need more members to help raise the awareness of Archaeology in Tucson in the community. And third, we need your input Field instruction will be offered in general survey so we know what direction the membership program techniques, basic compass reading, recording should take so it is a meaningful and worthwhile endeavor archaeological remains, and plotting archaeological finds on for everybody concerned (please fill out enclosed survey topographic maps and on aerial photos. Travel time to the form). survey area is about one hour from the center of Tucson (carpooling is encouraged). In addition to field experience, instruction in processing collections from archaeological surveys will be offered to those who are interested. Al plans to be surveying at least twice per month, usually on Saturdays and Sundays, through the rest of the year. To volunteer, you must be in good physical condition, VOLUNTEERS able to walk as many as five miles per day, and able to If you are interested in becoming a volunteer on an spend up to 8 hours outdoors in hot desert conditions. You archaeological survey, excavation, or in the lab, please also have to bring your own lunch and carry at least a give Tom a call. We have added a volunteer category to quart of water. And if you have a compass, please bring it, our computer list of members. This will make it much but no equipment purchases are required. Because this is easier for us to contact you when a volunteer project an all-volunteer project we won't be sticking to a rigid becomes available (see related article on survey schedule, so you must arrange with Al the dates that you volunteers). Those of you who were on the volunteer list can participate in the field survey. Al wants to be able to this past year should call if you want to continue to be give personal attention to each volunteer, so no more than called when we have a project. A lot of you on the list four people can be taken into the field at one time. were not able to help out when called this past year. Thanks to all who were able to help on projects. For further information, call Al Dart at 622-6663. MEMBERSHIP NEWS RESPONSE REQUIRED!!! We have mailed out over 800 copies of the four AIT newsletters that were produced this past year. This has ARCHAEOLOGICAL CALENDAR been costly, but many of you have responded by joining Archaeology in Tucson. For those of you who have not yet July 6-24. Summer Activities continue at Eldon Pueblo, joined, this will be your last Newsletter unless you write Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff. Contact: Carl Phagan at 1- and tell us otherwise (see survey form). 774-5211 or Peter Pilies at 1-527-7410. Monday, July 20, 7:30 p.m. A talk by Al Ferg on the Western Apache at the next Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society meeting, Room 301, Bioscience West Bldg., N. Fremont and E. Lowell, U of A. Saturday, July 25. Second Annual Open House at Homolovi State Park, Winslow, AZ. Contact: Chuck Adams or Rich Lange at 1-289-4835. WISH LIST We have a list of items that we need to help things flow a little easier around here. If you have any type of office furniture, desk chairs, drafting equipment, a typewriter, computer!, or BACKHOES AND ARCHAEOLOGY whatever, give Tom a call. We can probably use it. All gifts to This drawing illustrates the remains of a Hohokam the Institute are tax-deductible. pithouse and its contents that were discovered by using a backhoe at the Valencia Site in 1983. It is hard to think of such heavy pieces of equipment, like a backhoe, being used to do such delicate work as excavation of prehistoric sites.